Rainbow Reef & Namena · Fiji · Drift · Coral garden
Rainbow Passage
An explosion of soft coral on a 20 m drift
Area photo: Debra Baker · CC BY 4.0
Rainbow Passage is a shallow dive on Rainbow Reef, off Viani Bay in the Somosomo Strait, run as a drift. It bottoms out at 20 metres and the interest is the coral: an explosion of soft coral, healthy hard coral and schools of fish holding on the reef. Conditions are rated easy to moderate.
Where it is and how deep
16.7536° S, 179.9392° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
You go in from the boat and drop onto the reef, then let the current carry you through the passage; nothing about the dive asks you to swim against it. Maximum depth is 20 metres, so the profile stays long and shallow and the reef sits within a few metres of you for most of the drift. Conditions here are rated easy to moderate.
The coral is the reason to be here: an explosion of soft coral, healthy hard coral and schools of fish sitting on the reef. Sharks, turtles, dolphins and whales are all listed as common marine life at the site. PADI lists Enriched Air Diver as recommended training here, which suits a profile that spends its time shallow and long rather than deep and short.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Sea turtles
- Dolphins
- Whales
- Reef fish swarms
- Pristine corals
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair |
Season follows Rainbow Reef & Namena: The May-Oct dry season gives the strongest coral color and clearest water; Nov-Apr brings warmer seas but cyclone risk and more rain.
Know before you go
- The passage is dived as a drift, so stay on the group's line and carry a surface marker buoy for the pickup.
Dive videos
2023 10 17 Rainbow Passage with Dive Academy Fiji Edited · James Patrick Kent on YouTube
Taveuni Diving: Rainbow Passage Triggerfish and Shark · senrabnitsuj on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Rainbow Passage?+
Maximum depth is 20 metres, and much of the drift sits well above that. It is one of the shallower dives on Rainbow Reef, which is part of why it works as an easy-to-moderate site.
Is Rainbow Passage suitable for less experienced divers?+
Conditions are rated easy to moderate and the site tops out at 20 metres, so it is one of the more approachable dives on Rainbow Reef. It is still a drift dive, and PADI suggests Enriched Air Diver certification for the site.
Sources
- Rainbow Passage Dive Site — PADI
In The Logbook
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